Catching at the major league level certainly comes with its fair share of inherent potential safety hazards. Deep bruises from 95 mph fastballs, concussions from errant backswings, home plate collisions, developing bad knees from excessive crouching, and threats to your fertility. Over the weekend, A’s catcher Stephen Vogt experienced that last occupational peril in full living color.
While behind home plate in the eighth inning of Oakland’s 3-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, Vogt took a rogue foul tip off the bat of shortstop Ketel Marte. And unfortunately, he took it right where the sun don’t shine.
Odds are 99 percent of America is having a better day than #StephenVogt… https://t.co/E6p3JNEQvp
— Daily Upper Decker (@DailyUpperDeck) September 6, 2015
Here is another angle of the brutal blow:
Reason 1,721 why catchers should wear cups…
Ohhhh, @SVogt1229!!!
https://t.co/jHKFlWhxhj
— 120 Sports (@120Sports) September 6, 2015
Vogt had to exit the game, walking off tenderly with the assistance of trainers. MLB.com’s Jane Lee reported that he was taken to the hospital for tests, and could miss several days worth of action.
This isn’t the first time that an unlucky foul tip has assailed the family jewels of an unsuspecting backstop as fellow catchers Alex Avila and Francisco Cervelli can definitely attest to. Heck, this even makes the cup check that Vogt’s teammate Sean Doolittle got earlier this season look like child’s play.
Here’s to raising cup awareness in the greater Oakland area.
H/T theScore
